Charlies Drifting
by SheeshaBeesh
Summary: Charlotte (Charlie) Hillard is a drifter with a dark past. She's been moving place to place for awhile, but all of that comes to a stop when she meets a boy at a diner in Tulsa. Will he be enough to keep her around? Or will it all end in a disaster that will send her running?
1. Dallas

Billy, the truck driver, pulled over and shook my shoulder. He thought I was sleeping, but I'd never really slept at all. I've hitched rides with many creeps on my unwritten journey. Though he seemed like he was an alright guy I still feared his hand creeping up my leg, or him pulling a blade out at me. I didn't need any more scars or dark memories.

"Wake up sunshine! We're here!" His husky voice had me shooting up in my seat. Where was here? I pulled the little red leather journal out from the inner pocket of my father's old black leather jacket.

"Where are we?" I looked around.

"Tulsa, Oklahoma," he replied.

I wrote:

**Tulsa, Oklahoma 1967 Day 1**

**Hitched a ride with a trucker named Bill from South Carolina to Oklahoma, he seems to be an alright guy. **

It was then that I realized that Bill began to fish in his pockets; I grew tense. When he pulled out a small amount of cash I exhaled.

"Look I don't do that…I just wanted a ride…"

It took a moment for him to catch on, but when he did his scruffy face turned red.

"You don't have to do anything, get yourself something to eat you look like a bag of bones."

The heat began creeping its way up my cheeks. I judged too quickly.

"Take care of yourself Charlie," He handed me the money and I hopped out of the truck.

"Will do! Thank you so much!" I twirled on my feet and started down the road with same tired, short strides I always had. My stomach screamed at me because I hadn't eaten for three days. So I looked for the nearest place to grab some food.

A little ways down the street I found a diner. I could already tell it was a rough place. A fight broke out just before as I was opening the door, but I paid no attention to it. I was used to places like this. When my dad was alive we lived in a small apartment on the rougher sides of Boston.

With how hungry I was I wanted to order everything on the menu, but I knew I'd need to save as much money as I could. Needless to say, I settled with a burger, fries and a very much needed cherry coke. I don't think I could eat the food fast enough, someone else thought otherwise.

"Hungry?" A guy with short brown hair and small brown eyes slid into the booth.

I could feel the globs of ketchup and mustard on my cheeks. I swallowed the bite in my mouth and wiped my cheeks with a napkin, the familiar heat stretching up my face, "Starving."

"You're not from around here are you?"

"What gave it away?" I asked amused.

"You sound like you're from up north, whereabouts?"

"I'm from here, there and everywhere to be honest. I was raised in the Boston area for the most part though, you?"

He licked his lip and then bit it, a habit maybe? A place he didn't want to remember, "New York."

I'd been there, but not in the rough side. I figured if I was going to be homeless that I was going to enjoy this country for what it's worth. So I ventured to Time Square. I bit into my burger again, trying not to drag the New York thing out any longer than needed.

"Say I show you around?"

"What's your name again?" I asked, not sure if he said it before, honestly I was so tired I probably wouldn't remember.

"It's Dallas."

I nodded, "Thank you for offering, but I'm probably not going to stick around very long."

"Come on," he insisted, "Let me show you a good time."

I paused and then finally answered, "Fine."


	2. Screwed Up

Hey! Its summer break! Sorry for the delay :p)

Dallas had trouble written all over him, and it didn't take me long to see it. It was in the way he talked and walked, as though he didn't have a care for anyone or anything. But there was something about my sixteen year old self that craved men with that attitude, and though I knew it was going to cause me trouble in the long run I couldn't help but be amused.

We made our way through a vacant lot. I found a long piece of grass to pick apart, as he rambled on about Tulsa and how he just got out of the cooler this morning; good behavior.

"So what are you doing all on your lonesome?"

"Let's not dig up old dirt," I replied refusing to look at him, "let's just say I'm well off on my own."

He nodded as though he understood; something changed momentarily, but it was unreadable. I smirked and nudged him playfully, "So what is that you do for fun around here?"

He smirked and lit a cigarette and held it between his lips when he spoke, "Rodeos, parties and shit like that."

"Rodeos! I've heard of them, but I've never seen one."

"Maybe I'll take you to one sometime," he replied.

"If I'm here long enough," I chuckled, "Honestly, I'm a flight risk."

"You make it sound like you're some kind of criminal," he smiled teasingly.

"Maybe I am," I replied, smiling like an idiot.

It was beginning to get dark when we made it over to a lake. Earlier we ran into his roommate Buck who let us in on the party at the lakeside. It was clear people were getting rowdy and a fight broke out shortly after us arriving.

_Don't drink too much_, I thought to myself as Dallas returned with my drink and slung his arm around me. But who was I fooling? I'd end up trashed by the end of the night, and fucking everything up as I always did. I was best at giving in to my temptations, and I knew if I did so that I'd be risking the opportunity of it happening again. Something that I didn't want to remember.

The booze made me go to a different place; it was place where my emotions all hit me at once, and yet I would be in complete euphoria, and it'd send me into an unreasonable state of mind, where I just didn't give a flying fuck about just how big of a mess I really am. And after this thing (whatever that thing was) that Dallas and I had together at that moment was over; he'd be shipping me out of his life like every other god forsaken man did.

_God! I'm turning into my mother_, was my first thought when I woke up in Dallas's bed with his arm around me. I bit my lip and slowly lifted his arm, reaching my foot off the bed until it hit the floor. I thought back to this guy in Maryland that I hitched a ride with, and instantly clenched my eyes shut to fight back tears, but I could forget his dirty hands all over my body, and I could never wash off his dirt.

But this was different, I reminded myself, I chose to sleep with Dallas last night; God I'm so fucked up.

When I slipped out from underneath him I grabbed my clothes and got dressed as quiet as I could. But it was when I opened the door that I came face to face with a girl. At first she looked absolutely dumb-founded, but that all turned into anger in the blink of an eye.

"Who the hell are _you_?"

"Nobody you have to worry about," I pushed pass her and started down the stairs. I was tense waiting for her to come back and want to fight.

"Hey Charlie baby," Buck smiled at me, and I returned it with a dirty look.

I heard bickering coming from upstairs before walking out the door. The fresh air was exactly what I needed, but it also reminded me of the massive hang over I had. My ribs ached and I got short flash backs of a fight that I got in with a guy who grabbed my ass last night.

I'd found the highway after asking a few people, and soon as I got there I stuck my thumb out waiting for my next ride to nowhere to arrive.

It was a T-bird that pulled over to the side of the road, and it took me awhile to realize who it was. Dallas. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and I stuck my thumb back up in the air.

"Charlie get in the damn car," he demanded.

I started backing up and he started moving with me.

"Are you nuts? You're going to cause an accident!"

"Then get into the car," he replied stubbornly.

"You were a one night stand Dal, nothing more." I finally stopped and so did he.

"It's only a one night stand if you have sex," he stated.

We didn't have sex? I woke up in his bed more than half naked and I remember making out with him. I felt like an idiot.

Dallas reached over and opened the passenger side door.

"I can't stay," I replied.

"Why not babe? We're just getting started…"

I laughed in disbelief and shook my head, "We are not going anywhere…it's pointless." I wanted to tell him that I was lost hope; that he didn't want me. I'm a nut case.

He put his hand over his heart dramatically, "You're killing me."

I kicked his door shut and glared at him, and his smile disappeared. "Just give me a chance."

I stood there for a moment, and it was then that the highway was full of passing cars blowing their horns. So I took a hit to my pride and got in his car.

" Do you remember anything from last night?"

"Bits and pieces…so if we didn't have sex how did I end up half naked in your bed?"

"We started to fool around and then you freaked out on me," he bit his lip.

I crossed my arms uncomfortably and shifted in the seat, "I've been through a lot of shit Dallas…So don't expect anything from me."

"I don't expect anything from you, just stay."

I nodded and for the first time in a long time I felt wanted, "Okay."

**Tulsa, Oklahoma 1967 Day 2**

**I met Dallas at a diner yesterday, and we walked all over Tulsa talking. I screwed up, but I'm staying a little while. We'll see how this goes. **

I looked up from my journal and noticed that Dal was glancing over at me. Dally seemed like the type of guy who would have kicked me to the curb for pulling what I did last night. Maybe I was wrong.

Finally I asked, "Where are we going?"

"To meet up with Pony and Johnny."

Great, more people to try not grow attached to.


End file.
